Gameloft has announced that through the first half of 2011, they have hit €76.8 Million (about 110 million USD) in sales, which is up 15 percent from last year. Smartphone and tablet sales are up 55 percent, and account for 30 percent of the total. The second quarter alone saw €37.4 million (about 53 million USD), which is up 11 percent, even with the weak US dollar -- using a constant rate of exchange those sales grew by 16 percent. These second quarter sales break down to 33 percent from Europe, 28 percent from North America, and 39 percent for the rest of the world.

Gameloft expects to launch 20 new smartphone and tablet games during the second half of this year, so their outlook for sustained growth of this nature is good. While they may not have the best distribution model for the Android platform, you have to admit their games are very well done. We're looking forward to what's coming from Gameloft, and I'm sure more than a few of you guys are, too. Hit the break for the full announcement.

LG is starting to roll out its RemoteCall software on all "premium" Optimus smartphones, according to press release issued by the Korean manufacturer today. The RemoteCall software is already pre-loaded on the Optimus 3D, which is now shipping in Europe and Asia. It allows LG support reps direct access to customers' devices in order to diagnose software or hardware problems via Wifi or 3G.

LG says the software will be made available on the Optimus 2X, Optimus Black and Optimus 3D internationally, following its initial roll-out in South Korea. Join us after the jump for the full presser from LG.

Gingerbread update for HTC Desire now available as RUU

Almost exactly a year after the device first received an update to Froyo, the venerable HTC Desire now has an official Android 2.3 Gingerbread update available. The update is provided in the form of a RUU (ROM Update Utility) directly from HTC's Developer Center.

In order to fit Gingerbread and HTC Sense onto the Desire's tiny 512MB of internal storage, HTC has removed certain bundled apps from the update. The updater will also eradicate any carrier-specific branding or applications that might be loaded onto your Desire, which for some may be reason enough to update. Because of the nature of the update, HTC won't be offering it over-the-air, instead the only way to get it will be via a manual install of the package on the developer site. And because the installation method is a little more complex then the usual OTA, HTC recommends the Gingerbread update for "expert users only".

Unfortunately, though, Desire owners in Germany, North America, South America, South Korea, and Japan are out of luck. HTC says that Desires in these territories aren't supported, and applying the update on an unsupported device may result in the loss of basic functionality like SMS and MMS.

So to break it down, here's what you'll get if you choose to apply the update --

Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread (yay!) on top of a tweaked version of HTC Sense 1.0.

A clean, de-branded phone. All user data will be removed during the update, as will any bloatware bundled apps from your carrier.

Just one pre-loaded wallpaper. The rest are included in a zip file inside the updater package.

Flashlight, Teeter, Facebook are no longer pre-loaded. The first two are included as apk files in the update package, while the latter is available from the Android Market after initial setup.

Kudos to HTC for providing a way for advanced users to enjoy Gingerbread with a minimal amount of fuss and lost functionality (we doubt anyone will lose any sleep over having to sideload Teeter and the Flashlight app). If you've taken the plunge and updated your Desire using the RUU, let us know how it went in the comments. In the meantime, you can grab the files for yourself from the source link below, or check out HTC's full release notes after the jump.

Cellular South gets the Motorola Milestone Plus (aka Droid Pro)

Regional U.S. carrier Cellular South today announced that it's carrying the Motorola Milestone Plus, which by no small coincidence looks exactly like the Motorola Droid Pro (read our full review) we've come to know and (mostly) love on Verizon.

The Droid Pro Milestone Plus sports a 3.1-inch touchscreen, running Android 2.2 with a 1 GHz processor. And because of that smaller screen and beefy CPU, this thing flies. It's also got 4GB of on-board storage, plus a 5MP camera with flash.

The Motorola Milestone Plus is available today for $199 with a two-year contract and $50 mail-in rebate.

Sprint Motorola Photon 4G available today

Today's the day, folks. The Motorola Photon 4G is now available in Sprint stores and online. And if you couldn't tell from Part 1 of our Photon 4G review, we're slightly over the moon about this one. Between the 4.3-inch touchscreen (Pentile display notwithstanding), dual-core 1GHz processor and that it's running Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, plays Netflix out of the box -- and has Sprint's Wimax data -- it's quickly found itself as our new favorite on Sprint.

It's going to be quite the battle between the Photon 4G and the HTC EVO, that's for sure. On the fence? We've got answers in our EVO 3D and Photon 4G forums.

Want to charge your Photon 4G and use the kickstand? Flip it over

The best part about having the best Android community around? Easy answer to stupid problems. See, as Android Central Forums member Quis points out, when you're using kickstand on the Motorola Photon 4G like in the picture above, you can't charge at the same time because the microUSB port is resting against the table/desk/laptop whatever. Oops.

Fellow forums member RickNY points out the easy fix -- the Photon's kickstand is sturdy enough to support the phone backwards. And, sure enough, flip it over and the phone stays up, and the widget clock works, too. Easy solution to a dumb problem. Nicely done, folks!

Concert footage from LG's 'Bring Your World Alive' event in Hell's Kitchen now on Youtube

LG's mighty proud of the Thrill 4G, and we can't say we blame them -- check out the hands-on and see why. To celebrate the launch, they threw a big bash on July 25 in New York with musical guest Jane's Addiction, and the concert footage from the party is now on line for every one to have a look at. At their ComeAlive Youtube channel, they've dropped nine videos of the band having a loud good time, as well as the crowd. Maybe even more interesting to us Android fans, on Aug. 4 they will be uploading a full documentary shot in 3D with the LG Thrill 4G to their channel. Should make for a great look on any stereoscopic 3D device, like the Optimus 3D or the EVO 3D. Of course with word that the LG Thrill may be delayed, it's may be a few weeks until you can actually watch in on a Thrill. In the meantime, check out the band at the source link.

If you're in Canada and looking to pick up the Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant, you may want to check out Virgin Mobile. They are currently offering this device for just $349.99 with no contract, which looks like a great deal compared to some of the other carrier's prices. And with carriers changing data plans left and right, there's no better time to look into pre-paid services.You can find full details at the source link below.

HTC EVO 3D and Sensation (and others) get new unlocked life thanks to Revolutionary

OK, all you boys and girls who are dying to hack into your shiny new EVO 3D. The long-rumored collaboration between the folks behindUnrEVOked and AlphaRev has come to fruition, and the Revolutionary S-OFF and Recovery Tool has been born. Devices supported include:

HTC Desire (GSM and CDMA)

HTC Wildfire

HTC Aria

HTC Incredible S

HTC Droid Incredible 2

HTC Desire S

HTC View

HTC Flyer

HTC Sensation - including NAND unlock

HTC EVO 3D - including NAND unlock

This is a different than root access, but it's no less important, giving you full access to the phone to load custom ROMs as you see fit. A reminder that this is an early developer preview, so bugs may exist. Be sure to read any and all documentation. Well done, ladies and gents!

Radio Shack memo says LG Thrill delayed until Aug. 21

This just rolled in from a tipster, and it looks like you folks waiting for AT&T to release the LG Thrill 4G might have to wait just a bit longer. According to this internal memo from Radio Shack, the thrill has been put on hold until Aug. 21. The Shack will continue to take pre-orders for the dual-core 3D handset until Aug. 15, and those of you that already have yours on order should be getting word from Radio Shack about the delay soon.

No clue as to why it's being delayed -- and maybe this is just for Radio Shack and AT&T proper will release it sooner. Or, maybe they decided to throw one more party (actually, Gameloft has one scheduled for Aug. 10). If you have any better theories, check out the hands-on and talk it up in the Thrill 4G forums!

Leaked Samsung slider not the Galaxy S II after all, expect the svelte version we all know and love

Remember that Samsung Galaxy S II slider that we saw a few days back? Turns out that it likely isn't the Galaxy S II after all, according to BGR, who leaked out the original images. Just as we already reported, AT&T is now looking to release two new Samsung phones, one being the SGH-i927 with a sliding horizontal qwerty keyboard (pictured above, and mentioned here as well), and a more conventional styled phone that will be the Samsung Galaxy S II for the number two US carrier.

While we still don't know all the details, the slider will be running Gingerbread and have a current version of the Linux kernel -- both very good things. We also know it will have a nice looking sliding keyboard, and offer another great choice to Android fans here in the states. We approve.

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide review

Times are rough for fans of Android and QWERTY keyboards. The top-dog performers seem to never have one, and the phones with great ones are are few and far between. I know I love them, and I can't be alone. When I heard rumors that the myTouch 4G was getting a Slide version, I was hopeful. When I found out it would have better specs that the original myTouch 4G, I really started anticipating it, and when HTC announced it would come with a much improved camera, I got a little excited.

The real question is, how well does this thing compare to all the hype? It's the same question we have every time we hear about new high-end phones, especially when the new features get touted everywhere. Hit the jump, and we'll have a look.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Gingerbread now ready ... again

Although Sony got a little ahead of themselves with the previous announcement of Gingerbread rolling out for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, they've gotten things back on track. Some of the first users getting the update notifications will be unbranded devices with carrier branded devices shortly following after. Once you get the update notification, you'll need to load up the PC Companion app in order to download and install Gingerbread but after that -- you'll be golden.

Fido, the budget brand of Rogers in Canada, is getting set to release some new Android devices. Starting in August, they will make available the LG Optimus 2X, Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro and Samsung Galaxy Q. No official launch dates or pricing is found on the documentation but Fido does always keep their pricing at a minimum provided you sign on for a new 2-year contract. The most expensive device in their current line up right now is the $100 Samsung Nexus S. Another pic can be found after the break.

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